The US Isn’t Ready To Give Up On ITU Talks Just Yet

As the ITU talks continue this week, one of the most worrisome proposals has been shelved. The proposal in question would have allowed nations like Russia, China and Saudi Arabia more say in how the Internet is governed. Despite that concession, rumors are pointing to the US delegates giving up on the ITU conference altogether and heading home.

According to a report from The Register, the US delegates at the ITU conference have reportedly threatened to walk out on the talks. Such a move would probably doom the entire conference as the US has considerable sway in the matters at hand. US ambassador Terry Kramer refutes the report and says it’s nothing but a rumor. Here’s the full email statement courtesy of Tech Dirt:

In the past few days, a small number of media reports have characterized the United States as “threatening” to withdraw from the WCIT negotiations. These speculative reports are inaccurate and unhelpful to the Conference. The United States has made no such threat, and it remains fully committed to achieving a successful conclusion to the WCIT.

The US may not have threatened to leave the talks, but something must have happend to make China and other nations drop its proposal. What that something was will remain unknown until a leak occurs or member states finally decide to be a bit more transparent about the ITU process. My bet is on the former.

The ITU conference is set to last until December 14. The US could very well walk out before that, but it seems like Ambassador Kramer is prepared to stick it out for the rest of the week. It will be interesting to see what other developments come out of what has already proven to be one of the most fascinating, and unnerving, global conventions of the year.